Motor actuated rotary crane hook



July 24, 1962 c. 0. GRIS MOTOR ACTUATED ROTARY CRANE HOOK Filed Dec. 22, 1958 FIG. 3

INVENTO/P CONRAD D. GP/S ite tates 3,ii4,46 MOTOR ACTUATED ROTARY CRANE HGOK Conrad D. Gris, Hamilton, ()utario, Canada, assignor to Mansaver Industries, Inc, New Haven, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Dec. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 782,179 6 Claims. (Cl. 29482) pulling or pushing the load and in which case the swivel connection between the upper member and the lower hook member generally turns without undue twisting of the load carrying cable. However, in the case of heavy duty cranes for lifting massive loads an entirely diiferent condition is presented as the mass of the load very frequently produces a sufiicient compressive thrust in the swivel connection to bind the swivel against free turning and whereby great manual force has to be exerted and which twists the load carrying cable to a point where its resistance to further twisting is sufiicient to overcome the binding of the swivel connection; all of which is time consuming and dangerous for those people pushing or pulling the load as well as being injurious to the load suspension assembly of the crane.

The object of this invention is to provide power means for rotating the lower portion of a crane hook in relation to its upper portion and to preferably do so by the use of an electric motor carried by the crane hook.

A particular object of the invention is to incorporate a gear wheel and a meshing pinion in the crane hook assembly, the gear wheel being rotatable in relation to the crane hook and positioned substantially concentrically of the vertical axis about which the hook is turnable, the pinion being supported by either the upper portion or lower hook portion of the crane hook and driven by an electric motor carried by the crane hook; by which arrangement energization of the motor causes the pinion to tend to travel around the gear wheel and also to tend to rotate the gear wheel in an epicyclic arrangement and whereby readily controlled power rotation of the lower portion of the crane hook in relation to the upper portion of the crane hook is effected.

A further object of the invention is to provide an alternative arrangement wherein the gear wheel and pinion is eliminated, and in which arrangement an electric motor is positioned concentrically of the vertical axis about which the hook is turnable, the shaft of the motor upon which the motor rotor is mounted being swivelly connected at its upper end to the upper portion of the crane hook and formed with the hook upon its lower end, the armature containing motor casing being freely mounted upon the motor shaft to surround the rotor and carrying a weighted rim concentric wheel which is attached thereto; and by which arrangement energization of the motor rotates the rotor and hook in one direction and the armature casing and wheel in the opposite direction and whereby readily controlled power rotation of the hook is effected.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as shall hereinafter appear my invention consists of a power driven rotatable crane hook constructed and arranged all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are side elevational views, partly broken ice away, of two gear and pinion crane hook arrangements constructed in accordance with my invention, and

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the alternative arrangement wherein the gear wheel and pinion is eliminated.

The arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 follows standard practice in comprising an upper member 2 adapted to be hung fromv the lifting cable assembly of a crane and a lower member 3 carrying a hook 4 and swivelly attached to the upper member, and whereby a load hanging from the hook 4 may be rotated through the medium of the swivel connection between the members 2 and 3.

In the construction shown in FIG. 1, the shank 5 of the upper member carries a freely rotatable gear wheel 6 concentric to the vertical axis of the assembly, being of bell shape and mounted upon the lower face of a balance wheel 7 carried for free rotation upon the shank 5 which has an increased diameter lower portion 8 upon which the wheel rests. The upper end 9 of the member 3 is of socket form to embrace a head 10 carried upon the bottom of the shank 5 to constitute a swivel connection and which incorporates a thrust bearing 11. The lower member 3 carries a suitable seat 12 for the reception of an electric motor 13 of suitable drive shaft speed, a pinion 14 being mounted upon the shaft and meshing with the gear wheel 6.

The foregoing described assembly is so proportioned in size and weight that rotation of the pinion 14 by the motor 13 causes the pinion to rotate around the gear wheel 6 and turn the hook, however as the gear wheel 6 is freely rotatable upon the shank it also rotates under the action of the pinion in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the hook 4. The mass and diameter of the balance wheel 7 is so proportioned in relation to the gearing and the driven speed of the pinion 14 that the hook 4 will only slowly rotate when carrying a load and will stop rotating under relatively small applied resistance to the turning movement of the load by a workman.

In the arrangement illustrated -in FIG. 2, a balance wheel 15 is freely caried upon the shank 5 of the upper member in a similar manner to the mounting of the balance wheel 7 and carries a pair of electric motors 16 seated within diametrically oppositely positioned orifices 17 in the wheel. The upper end 18 of the lower member 3 is of socket form to embrace a head 19 carried upon the bottom of the shank 5 to constitute a swivel connection and incorporating a thrust bearing 20. The upper peripheral portion of the socket 18 carries a concentric gear wheel '21 with which mesh a pair of pinions 22 carried and driven by the motors 16.

As will be readily perceived, the epicyc-lic operation of the FIG. 2 arrangement is the same as that of the FIG. 1 arrangement, but in this case the hook 4 will turn with the gear wheel 21 from which it depends; the mass and diameter of the balance wheel 15 and its contained motors 16 being proportioned in relation to the gearing and the driven speed of the pinions 22.

In the alternative construction shown in FIG. 3 and electric motor is positioned concentrically of the vertical axis about which the hook 23 is turnable, such hook being carried upon the lower end of the shaft 24 of the motor. The upper end of the shaft carries a head 25 which is encased within a socket 26 formed upon the bottom of the upper member 27, the head resting upon a suitable thrust bearing 28. The motor rotor 29 is secured upon the shaft 24 and contained within the armature housing 30 which is mounted for free rotation and rests upon a thrust bearing 31 carried by the motor shaft. A balance wheel 32 is mounted upon the armature housing to give it sufiicient inertia against initial free spinning, when the motor is energized.

From the foregoing desciption it will be understood, as the rotor and armature are both rotatably mounted, that energization of the motor will tend to rotate the armature and rotor in opposite directions, so that a load hanging from the hook 23 will only permit slow rotation of the rotor and the hook or perhaps retain the rotor at a standstill while the armature and balance Wheel 3'2 spins. In either case it is a simple matter for a workman to retard rotation of the load or if necessary give it a slight assist in rotation.

While electric motors have been shown and described as the power sources, it will be appreciated that other sources of power, such as gasoline motors, compressed air motors etc., may be incorporated in the crane hook assemblies and be within the scope of this invention.

Having thus disclosed the invention it is to be understood that I do not necessarily confine myself to the particular embodiments as shown and described, and I may make any such changes and alterations as I may deem necessary without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l.' A load carrying rotatable crane hook assembly comprising an upper member adapted for attachment to a crane, a lower hook member suspended from the upper member in rotatable relation thereto, a balance wheel rotatably mounted upon said upper member and motor means mounted upon said lower member and means driven by said motor means for rotating said balance wheel and epicyclically controlling the movement of said lower hook member.

2. A load carrying rotatable crane hook assembly comprising an upper member adapted for attachment to a crane, a lower hook member suspended from the upper member in rotatable relation thereto, a balance wheel rotatably mounted upon said upper member and an electric motor carried by said lower member for epicyclically controlling the movement of said lower hook member with respect to said balance wheel.

3. A load carrying rotatable crane hook assembly comprising, an upper member, a lower hook member suspend- 33 ed from the upper member in rotatable relation thereto, a balance Wheel rotatably mounted about said upper member, motor means and means driven by said motor means and connecting said balance wheel to said lower member for epicyclically controlling the movement of said lower hook member.

4. A load carrying rotatable crane hook assembly comprising, an upper member, a lower hook member suspended from the upper member in rotatable relation thereto, a balance wheel rotatably munted about said lower hook member, motor means and means driven by said motor means and connecting said balance Wheel to said lower member for epicyclically controlling the movement of said lower member.

5. A load carrying rotatable crane hook assembly comprising, an upper member, a lower hook member sus pended from the upper member in rotatable relation thereto, motor means including a rotor and a stator, a balance wheel rotatably mounted about said lower hook member, said rotor being secured to said lower hook member and said stator being secured to said balance Wheel, whereby energization of said motor means tends to rotate said lower hook member and said balance wheel in epicyclic relation.

6. A load carrying rotatable crane hook assembly comprising, an upper member, a lower hook member suspended from the upper member in rotatable relation thereto, a balance wheel rotatably mounted about said upper member, motor means mounted upon said balance wheel and means driven by said motor means and connecting said balance wheel to said lower hook member for epicyclically controlling the movement of said lower hook member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,577,283 Mitchell Mar. 16, 1926 2,447,343 Kelly Aug. 17, 1948 2,524,189 Clay Oct. 3, 1950 2,823,944 Anderson et al Feb. 18, 1958 

